Pinckney Community Schools is asking once again for community members to vote “yes” for the recreation millage on the May 5 ballot, which failed by 250 votes last year.

Since $700,000 has been added to the school’s deficit due to a low student-enrollment count for this school year, school officials believe the millage would help offset the costs it takes to maintain all recreation facilities. Some of those facilities include the community pool, playgroups, baseball fields, indoor and outdoor tracks, and weigh rooms.

“Obviously, schools are way more than education services, but we also offer a public service with a variety of amenities to offer the community,” said Rick Todd, Pinckney Community Schools superintendent. “What some people may not know is that we don’t get money funded for public services, such as recreation facilities.”

As of now, all money the district receives is going directly into the classroom and to pay off Pinckney’s debt.

“We do need some additional help to get the revenue if we want to maintain the facilities the community uses,” Todd said. “The money raised can go to support the recreational services, and we can move the money we are currently using to support those services back into the budget.”

Many who live in the Pinckney area believe since they pay taxes the facilities should be openly accessible to all for free.

“Please know that the tax money that is generated for schools is intended to go to supporting teaching and learning and is not allocated to support 24/7 community usage,” Todd explained. “We do wish we were in a position to allow free access to all, but that is simply not our reality, and the fee structure we have created is equitable with our neighboring districts.”

District officials are trying to lobby the county’s state representatives in efforts to encourage modifying the way the state funds school districts with declining enrollment, but Todd said he hasn’t had much luck in hearing back from the elected officials.

The proposal calls for the millage not to exceed 0.3 mills. One mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value. So, the owner of a home with a market value of $200,000 and a taxable value of $100,000 would pay no more than $30 annually for the millage.

If passed, the five-year recreation millage would last through 2019 and raise roughly $318,000 each year for the district.

Todd said the school felt it was necessary to put the recreation millage back on the ballot because he feels it’s important to provide community voters the opportunity to decide on whether or not to help support the students.

“The intent of moving forward with this millage is simply to generate much-needed revenue,” he said.

If voters turn down the millage again, Todd said the district won’t increase fees and will make “every attempt to sustain existing community resources and programs.”

For more information about the recreation millage, residents are encouraged to contact Todd at 810-225-3900 or at rtodd@pcs.k12.mi.us.